Building Up

Another amazing week in the books! It was a combined effort, and we accomplished a lot!

These student have gone from little to no knowledge of our Keyhole Garden Ecosystem to experts who can now TEACH others about it. They know the structure and functions, make up, and have determined rules for how the gardens are used.

In this process, they have written letters, created prototypes, drafted, drafted, drafted again...and come up with some amazing products to share their knowledge. Pretty cool to hear a student tell another, "Hey, don't forget the comma to separate those sentences in front of the conjunction, because that joins them!" No rote memorization here -- they have owned this learning and are APPLYING it -- all on their own.

Some groups recorded their signage so that others who weren't able to read it could listen with the help of a QR code. We even have some parent help in translating the information into different languages! Powerful!

We've also considered the flow of energy from the sun's light to keyhole garden plants that we consume. This led to conversations and learning about nutrients -- vitamins, minerals, fats, carbohydrates, protein, and water. Students became an expert on one of these nutrients, then taught a small group about plant sources of their nutrient and how their nutrient helps our bodies. We're more excited than ever to sample some dinosaur kale, romaine lettuce, and even some radishes now that we have a deeper understanding of essential nutrients.

In math, we used the numbers behind Thursday's human chain around Kiker to solved a problem of the day. We also strengthened our algebraic reasoning with input/output tables and their related equations. Everyone's favorite part of solving these basic functions was definitely using pattern blocks to show each relationship visually, starting with a rocket pattern.

The week ended with a chilly Track and Field. We created lots of memories and it was a perfect way to start Thanksgiving break!